Month: March 2012

I read this on facebook and it hit home. I am in no way playing down the roles of other MOS’s in the military but there is just something special about those who volunteer for Infantry. I have a special place in my heart for my 11bravos… Take Luck Sons.

The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Division, Crane, Ind., is seeking information on designs for an improved fragmentation hand grenade that could eventually replace the current M67 hand grenade design.

A recently-released request for information (RFI) identified government interest in a new grenade “desired to be at least 15 percent improvement in total effectiveness over the current M67 fragmentation grenade” but with general form/fit/and function remaining “essentially the same” as the current design.

That’s a pretty modest improvement they’re seeking. I’m pretty surprised they didn’t look to buy a smaller, lighter grenade. There are several “mini-grenades” on the international market that are popular. And of course, cutting back on the weight troops have to carry is a big push currently, even forcing the services to buy machine guns with titanium receivers, at considerable cost.

The administration’s decision to prioritize the Asia-Pacific region represents an important step forward in realigning military forces with America’s global interests. It follows the wisdom of the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel, led by William J. Perry, Bill Clinton’s secretary of defense, and Stephen Hadley, George W. Bush’s national security adviser, which found:

The force structure in the Asia-Pacific area needs to be increased. In order to preserve U.S. interests, the United States will need to retain the ability to transit freely the areas of the Western Pacific for security and economic reasons. The United States must be fully present in the Asia-Pacific region to protect American lives and territory, ensure the free flow of commerce, maintain stability, and defend our allies in the region.1

However, the credible projection of effective and sustainable power requires more than rhetoric. It also requires investments in capabilities and capacity to protect America’s interests in the region.

The 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) has placed a number of photos on their Facebook page of their Expert Infantry Badge testing last week. For those of you who have no experience with the EIB, it’s a series of combat-related tests that an infantryman must pass in order to earn the coveted EIB;

WordPress.com is fairly easy to use. You don’t have to get into the arcana of coding or HTML or any of the fancy computer stuff. If you can send an email, you’ve got just about all the technical skills to post here. Let’s walk through a simple text-only post.

We’re going to see a lot more of these low cost (relatively) “throwbots.” Getting a peek inside a room or around the corner is of incredible value to grunts, and while it may cost a small bit of the element of surprise, it’s a dang site better then getting shot in the head trying to get a glimpse. And cheaper too. Medical care ain’t cheap.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b4ZZQkcNEo&w=448&h=252&hd=1]

Oh, and how long before someone gins up a way to attach a Claymore to one?